Chestnut and ricotta Yule log
A Christmas chestnut and ricotta yule log, covered with a bark-like chocolate ganache
Servings 8
Ingredients
Ingredients for the sponge
- 150 g (5 ¼ oz) egg whites, about 5
- 75 g (⅓ cups) caster sugar
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) egg yolks, about 6
- 50 g (¼ cups) caster sugar
- 100 g (¾ cups) all-purpose flour
- 50 g (⅓ cups) potato starch
- Butter to grease the baking paper
Ingredients for the syrup
- 100 ml (½ cups) water
- 50 g (¼ cups) sugar
- 50 ml (¼ cups) alchermes, or coffee, or other liqueur you prefer, not too strong, though!
Ingredients for the filling
- 200 g (7 oz) fresh cow milk ricotta
- 200 g (7 oz) chestnut jam
Ingredients for the frosting
- 150 g (5 ⅓ oz) dark chocolate
- 150 ml (⅔ cups) fresh cream
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- Make the syrup. Boil the water with the sugar until dissolved. Pour in the alchermes and let it cool down.
- Make the sponge. Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.
- Whip the egg whites with 75 g (⅓ cup) of sugar until thick, firm and glossy.
- In another bowl whip the egg yolks with 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar until light and pale. Fold gently the two masses together.
- Sift flour with potato starch and fold it gently into the batter.
- Line with parchment paper a 28x38cm (11x15 in)baking tray and grease the paper with butter.
- Scrape the batter onto the tray and spread evenly.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly golden.
- Have ready a dampened kitchen towel and lay it on the table.
- As soon as the sponge is ready, remove it from the oven and turn it upside down onto the dampened kitchen towel.
- Gently peel off the parchment paper and roll the sponge cake, being careful not to break it. Leave it like this until cooled down.
- Prepare the filling by mixing ricotta with chestnut jam.
- Unroll the sponge and brush with the Alchermes syrup.
- Spread the sponge evenly with the ricotta and chestnut filling, then roll again and secure tight with cling film.
- Prepare the frosting.
- Bring to the boil the cream and pour it over the finely chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, let it cool down and whip with an electric mixer until thick.
- Spread the chocolate frosting over the sponge roll, draw a bark-like pattern with a fork and dust with cocoa powder. Leave in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
- Slice as thick as you want!
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